Pu-pu-put your hands together x 10...

New Pornographers - 9:30 Club - June 22, 2010

I waited in anticipation for the New Pornographers show Tuesday night (the first of a two-night stint at 9:30 club).  Thoughts of the show made me smile for months as the few hours with my favorite people, dancing to my go-to band, neared.  I listened to Together, the new album, and all my old favorites on repeat, neglecting new music due diligence for the past few weeks.  Then, right before the show, it came up in conversation that there was no way we'd be completely satisfied, like an expensive dinner at a nice restaurant: full with the forced feeling of content that comes with spending money, but without genuine satiation.

Oh, and how wrong New Pornographers proved us to be.  The meal satisfied.  I didn't love it because I was supposed to; I loved it because it was lovely.  

The show opened with the Dutchess and the Duke (we missed), then the Dodos, a band who apparently should avoid venues smaller than 9:30.  The quality of their performance quadrupled since I saw them at Rock N Roll Hotel last October--a show I remember being really loud, and not much else.  

Then New Pornographers took the stage, and as they launched into Sing Me Spanish Techno (the song we all just said we'd die to hear but wouldn't get to) I knew it was going to be a fantastic evening.  Not only did they pepper their playlist with a myriad of music spanning their over-a-decade-long career, they hit all the old standbys.  Challengers?  Check.  Fables on my street?  Laws Have Changed?  Slow Descent?  Check times three.  What could they possibly play the second night?  Weren't these the choice choices?  You might've been disappointed to not hear much of the new album, but they are getting to be that kind of act (in a good way).

And they sounded fantastic.  Neko's voice rich, Dan Bejar's (Mr. B-52--seriously, he sounds like THAT GUY) appropriately different, quirky AC Newman commentary, a great balance of so many pieces... it all came together in a way that made you forget that they have a million people on-stage.  Check out my scorecard for the more technical review... and hopefully someone who goes to the second night can offer us something of a description by way of the comments.

Setlist
1. Sing Me Spanish Techno
2. Up in the Dark
3. Myriad Harbour
4. Use It
5. Crash Years
6. All the Old Showstoppers
7. Jackie, Dressed in Cobras
8. Adventures in Solitude
9. It's Only Divine Right
10. Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk
11. Challengers
12. We End Up Together
13. Execution Day
14. Go Places
15. Moves
16. Your Hands (Together)
17. These are the Fables
18. The Laws Have Changed
19. Silver Jenny Dollar
20. Mass Romantic
21. The Bleeding Heart Show

Encore

22. The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism

23. Letter From an Occupant

24. Testament to Youth in Verse